Iconic weddings: Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti

On December 29, 1968, the happy couple welcomed their first baby, a son they named Carlo Jr

Five years later, their second child, Edoardo, arrived and the happy family unit was complete

While many considered Sophia and Carlo to be an unlikely pairing, their romance stood the test of time

The couple remained together until Carlo's death in 2007 at the age of 94. Speaking after her beloved husband's passing, Sophia said she would never remarry. "It would be impossible to love anyone else," she stated

Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti's incredible love story endured more than 50 years

The couple met back in 1950 when the film director helped to judge an Italian beauty contest. Sophia, who came second in the competition, was 15 at the time

Legal problems plagued Sophia and Carlo's romance, and after marrying by proxy on September 17, 1957, they were forced to annul their marriage in 1962. Here they are pictured in the year of their annulment

In the end, the couple – pictured at Cannes in 1959 – were both forced to give up their Italian citizenship and head to France where Carlo was able to legally divorce first wife Giuliana and remarry Sophia

Their second marriage took place on April 9, 1966, and was officiated by the Mayor of Sevres in the town hall

The happy newlyweds celebrate after finally becoming husband and wife

Speaking about their ill-fated first union, Sophia once said: "I was being threatened with excommunication, with the everlasting fire, and for what reason? I had fallen in love with a man whose own marriage had ended long before… I wanted to be his wife and have his children"